Iowa State's Kaitlyn Clark breaks the women's NCAA scoring record

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Kaitlyn Clark wasted no time in becoming the NCAA women's career scoring leader Thursday night, taking less than three minutes to score the eight points she needed to break Kelsey Bloom's record.

The Iowa State star, who has drawn unprecedented attention to women's basketball, surpasses the record with her signature shot – 35 feet indicator 3 Which only reached the bottom of the net.

And Clark didn't let go from there. She finished with a career-high 49 points, tied a career best with nine 3-pointers and dished out 13 assists in No. 4 Iowa's 106-89 win over Michigan.

Hawkeyes coach Lisa Bluder took Clark out of the game with 1:46 left, shortly after she had reached her final 3, and she went to the bench to applause from the crowd at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

Clark's huge night put her at 3,569 points and 80 points away from her next milestone, Lynette Woodard's women's college major record of 3,649 points.

Clark entered the game needing eight points to get through Total plum 3527. The record was a 3 on the dribble down the left wing near the Mediacom Court logo with 7:45 remaining in the first quarter.

“It's cool. It's great to be on the same field as a lot of really good players,” Clark said at half-time in a television interview. “I'm lucky to do it because I have really good teammates, really good coaches and a great support system surrounding me.”

Bloom set the previous record as a senior at Washington in 2017. Woodard starred at Kansas from 1977-81, an era when women's sports were governed by the Association of Women's Intercollegiate Athletics. Pearl Moore by Frances Marion She holds the overall women's record with 4,061 points from 1975-79.

Iowa State has four games remaining in the regular season, plus the Big Ten Tournament and the NCAA Tournament. Barring injury, Clark, a senior who averages 32.1 points per game, is sure to surpass Woodard. She has the option to return for a fifth season of college basketball due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The crowd started chanting “Another year!” Another year!” while Clark, who is projected to be the No. 1 overall pick in the WNBA draft, was giving a television interview after the game.

He was among those offering congratulations on social media LSU star Angel Reese, who shared the spotlight with Clark in last season's national championship game that the Tigers won. The Big Ten Network released A.J Congratulations compilation video This included Tom Brady, Peyton and Eli Manning.

Iowa State won the tip and Clark, guarded by Leila Velia, drove to the basket and hit a shot from the right side. Clark hit a 3 from the left wing on Iowa's next possession. The Hawkeyes turned the ball over twice before Clark took a pass from Gabe Marshall in transition, Stop and shoot from deep.

As the ball passed, fans — many of whom were standing and holding their phones to capture the moment — let out a tremendous roar.

Bluder called a timeout shortly afterward, and Clark hugged his teammates and coaches during a brief celebration.

“Just thankful. I'm thankful to be surrounded by people and to be in a city that supports women's basketball so much,” Clark said. “Being surrounded by my best friends and people who want to see me great and push me to be great every day.”

Clark and her dynamic game captivated the nation for two seasons. Last year, she led the Hawkeyes to the NCAA title game and was named All-Star AP Player of the Year. More than just her pursuit of the record, her long 3-pointers and flashy assists have sparked interest in her Women's game. The arenas are sold out For its games, at home and abroad, TV ratings have never been higher.

It was all more than Clark ever imagined when The 6-foot guard is from West Des Moines He stayed in state and chose Iowa State over Notre Dame in November 2019.

“I was dreaming of doing really big things, playing in front of big crowds, going to the Final Four, and maybe not quite at that level,” Clark said this week. “I think it's really hard to dream. You can always exceed expectations, even your own, and I think that was one of the coolest parts.”

Although her basketball commitments and endorsement deals (State Farm ads, etc.) have put a strain on her time, she said she's the same person who showed up on campus four years ago. She still cleans her apartment, does laundry, plays video games, hangs out with friends and does her homework.

Its arrival at the record could have come early, but it's back at Carver-Hawkeye Arena, where resale prices for tickets to the game It ranged from hundreds of dollars To thousands. As usual, fans showed up early off the field, many wearing black and gold No. 22 jerseys and carrying signs in honor.

Mia Anderson, her friend Ellie Steffensen, 12, and their mothers made the six-hour drive from Canton, South Dakota, to see Clark break the record.

“I think she inspired a lot of people,” Mia said.

“Yes, there are a lot of little girls,” Ellie added.

Mya and Ellie both play basketball, and both said they try to do some of the things Clark does on the court, like shoot long 3s.

“But I'm not as good as her,” Ellie said.

Kelly Jared of Manchester, Iowa, said she loves everything about Clark and expects her impact on women's soccer to continue.

“I took it to a new level,” Jared said. “The ambitions and goals that the current players and future players have have raised that bar to the sky. And this is perfect, because they're going to go for it. For the fans, there's an excitement for people who have never watched women's basketball. My son's not a basketball fan, but he watched “Caitlin last year and was sold. He absolutely loves it.”

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AP women's college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-womens-college-basketball-poll And https://apnews.com/hub/womens-college-basketball